I received it this package from The She Space few days ago. This package is way delayed. I think got lost somewhere during the holiday season so it never turned up after waiting for 2 months. Apparently I wasn't the only one who reported a lost package. Heather was rather prompt in sending out replacement packages for everyone. This replacement package turned up two weeks later. I think she hired more workers so it's a whole lot faster if you order from them.

The She Space's Cinderella collection is totally gorgeous. I regretted it when I didn't order it earlier in August last year. Luckily they brought back the whole collection at the end of the year. This collection has already been taken down off their site now. I would have ordered the whole collection in full sizes if I have the money, but I didn't. So it's just samples for me.

the neutrals, pastels, pinks are so lovely.

I don't really like the greens and reds(reddish brown). I think the blues were really gorgeous.

Sorry these photos don't do justice at all. The colours are way gorgeous in real life.

These photos will give a better idea.

The She Space eye pigments are really cheap at US$0.50 a sample. Usually, I will maximise the cart at US$20 so that it's really worth the US$2 shipping. However, it can be a chore trying to organize pigments in baggies. I'm having a headache over them right now.

I think I "overbuyed" the Fasio eyeshadow palettes but they are really pretty. Currently, I have 4 and am missing the Gold/Silver one (C1).

(Top left, clockwise): C3, C4, C5, C2

They are palettes that are not very pigmented, something subtle for everyday looks. I think they do have very pretty and not over-the-top glitters that stay on all day. I'm slowly turning into this Fasio fan lately. hehe. I do kind of regret getting C3 (pink palette) because the colours just don't seem to suit me. I think C2 (brown palette) looks the most gorgeous out of all of them. :) I've been going back to these palettes more than anything. Haven't even gotten to open my Majolook Trick On quad yet. :O

Earlier, I had received a PM from a cotter to help try out the Maybelline Pure Mineral products (it pays to be noisy on a forum :P )but I had declined because I'm allergic to Maybelline Angelfit (it makes me itch :( ).

But, later chiaberry passed me a sample of hers to try. :D So I managed to test it without having to let it go to waste. So here's my review. I got to test out shade Light Ochre OC1 and blusher was Rose.

So here's my thoughts. (I'm judging it with some knowledge in mineral makeup). It goes on pretty well, very light just like any mineral makeup will do. The foundation shade was a little off for (too beige and maybe a little dark) but it doesn't seem to be very "off" compared to real mineral makeup (which can be pretty obvious when you get the wrong undertones on). Also it gives a glow on your face, but it turns out to be over-glowy for me after a while. I suppose it's due to the bismuth oxychloride which is added in most non-mineral makeup to give a glowy look.

The blusher was very natural, not so glowy as the foundation. There are 3 shades to play with and I liked how they labelled it. If you are warm-toned, you can buy Peach. If you are neutral, you can get Rose. If you are cool-toned, you can buy Cool pink (honestly I forgot what's the third blusher called).

I do not own the Maybelline kabuki brush but I seriously think it is very rough when I touched it while testing at Watsons. There are better kabukis out there so if you need a brush to use with this foundation, buy a new one. I recommend Everyday Minerals because their kabukis are really soft and price is cheap (when you buy in kits. I can't get enough of their brushes. I'm still planning to buy more.)

Please bear in mind Pure Minerals is not true mineral makeup. Like L'oreal/Revlon/Red Earth mineral makeup, it still contains ingredients that are comedogenic. Bismuth oxychloride is one example that irritates the skin and it can lead to breakouts in some girls.

If you are already a user of real mineral makeup, I would suggest you to forget about this product. It is very likely you'll get a breakout from it when you switch from your powder to this due to the bismuth oxychloride. I did get a bump after using it.

If you are a user of commericial non-mineral makeup, and you wish to try this product, go ahead. I think it's still a little better than commercial makeup out there. There are currently 4 shades available. From what I remembered, it's OC1, W02, B01 and maybe R01. It's very limited shades and like one shade for each undertone family. If you can't find a match, don't buy it. Just wait for new shades to come. Foundation costs $25.90 and blusher costs $19.90.

Sunday, February 08, 2009

I have long advised people to eat less animal protein as a way to lower their intake of saturated fats and avoid environmental toxins. If you need some simple ideas to get your family or yourself started on a lifestyle that reduces or eliminates animal protein, try the following:

1. Use meat as a side dish, not as the entree.2. Prepare familiar meatless meals such as bean burritos and pasta salads.3. Eat meatless frequently. Start with meatless breakfasts and then incorporate meatless lunches as well.4. Substitute fresh vegetables for meat in recipes. Vegetarian chili can be just as delicious as the meat version.5. Try meat substitutes. Tempeh, wheat meat (gluten) and whole soy products such as tofu or edamame can be as satisfying as meat, and are good sources of vegetable protein.6. Try new types of cuisine. Many ethnic cuisines offer meat-free dishes; you may not miss the meat when you have new flavors to entice you!

I'm a user of the original Bio-essence Face Lifting Cream since it was first launched. I still have the old range with me since I am using it very slowly.

I've gotten a sample of Bio-essence Face Lifting Cream with Pine Pollen with me. It promises to deliver extra benefits with the additional Pine Pollen.

The smell of the product was not very pleasant to me. I must say, I'm not super fond of the pine pollen smell. Or maybe it was the ginseng extract that they include in this pine pollen range. :(

Upon application, there was this extremely icy sensation on your face. The only thing that ever makes my face "burn" is "alcohol denat". This product contains alcohol and perhaps something else and it was just very very very cold. But since women are known to be good at tolerating pain (childbirth), I would say most ladies are willing to suffer in order to stay beautiful.

The sample was a substantial amount for like 2 applications. I didn't want to keep it around so I spreaded the rest over my neck (which I have been neglecting in taking care), my (flabby) arms and my thighs.

And what happened next? To illustrate the amount of "pain", my neck turned red. My thighs (which apparently have thicker skin than my face) could feel the same kind of burning sensation. But well, maybe I used too much.

When compared to the old range, I would prefer my old face lifting cream. The burning sensation was more bearable. The smell was more pleasant to me. Unfortunately, they are not producing it anymore.

Does this product work?
Of course it works. I swear by it when there are days I feel my face is round like the moon. I did not notice much when using the pine pollen face lifting cream partly because my face was feeling normal that day.

However the very next day, I did notice my thighs and face felt very smooth. I did notice some effects on my thighs (haha). But it's only a small attempt it would be too early to evaluate.

My verdict is go ahead and give this product a try if you need a face-lifting cream. Upon application, other than the burning sensation, I think it's still a good slimming face cream. I must warn I don't use it long term so I can't promise it's still effective in the long term. But when I pick it up to use it in times of needs, it always work for me.

I can't really tell whether it's supposed to be a moisturizer but it does leave your face feeling very smooth (a matte kind of feeling). Remember not to apply too much to avoid the icy burning sensation. More cream doesn't mean it "burns" more fats. For me, usually I just apply to my cheeks and the area below the jawline (the part that makes you look like you have a double chin).

Bio-essence is quite generous in giving out trial samples but I really can't remember where I got mine for free.

If you want to pick up a sample (but you need to pay for postage), you can try fr3b.com. I just checked. They do have it. I haven't tried that site yet to be honest but I heard it works.